My DIY Front Projection Screen
I have finally finished my DIY screen. It is a 96” diagonal, 16x9 screen with 2.5” bordering all around. The screen material is somewhat similar in colour to what is used on the Stewart Firehawk with a gain >1.0 and <1.5. I had tried various Behr gray and silver paints but did not achieve the success that my final paint selection did. My main concerns were to boost black levels for the image projected by my LCD projector (Sony 11HT), provide protection from off axis ambient light, and not “colour” the image.
I used a sheet of 49” x 84.5" sheet of formica for the screen surface which I spray painted with “Tremco – Tremclad High Heat Enamel - Aluminium”. This paint when dried, provided a nice matte silver/gray surface. I used 3 cans to provide 5 even coats over the screen. For the border material, I used “slot board” which is available in 4x8ft sheets, and sliced 3” lengths off. The slot/groove in each length of board is what holds the screen in place. I painted the borders flat black with Tremco flat black spray paint and then applied a single layer of super-wide velcro. I have found that this material was the best for blocking out any light spillover on the sides of the image. NOTE that the slotted border overlaps the formica screen by 1/2" on all sides so the final screen size is 48" x 83.5".
I could not be happier with the results. The total cost for the project was about cdn$130 including excess wood that was not even needed.
The first things I noticed about the projected image were the following… Whites appeared slightly brighter as compared to the image projected onto the wall, hence my estimate of gain between 1.0 and 1.5. Colours appeared deeper as well. Also, I could turn on the lights in the room and the image would not wash out as much as it would prior to having the screen and using a white wall instead.
Finally, I also painted the front wall in a flat black. This really made the image stand out and improved things by reducing the amount of light reflected on the front wall and back to the viewer. The perceived contrast ratio was again improved as a result. I also painted the side walls in an oat-straw colour...
Here are 3 images taken with my digital camera, a Kodak DX6490. The images have not been "doctored" in any way.
............................Screen Images (click to enlarge)
The settings for the camera were as follows.....
shutter speed = 1/4 sec
aperture = f3.20
exposure = 5
focal length = 75mm
iso = 200
flash = none
I have finally finished my DIY screen. It is a 96” diagonal, 16x9 screen with 2.5” bordering all around. The screen material is somewhat similar in colour to what is used on the Stewart Firehawk with a gain >1.0 and <1.5. I had tried various Behr gray and silver paints but did not achieve the success that my final paint selection did. My main concerns were to boost black levels for the image projected by my LCD projector (Sony 11HT), provide protection from off axis ambient light, and not “colour” the image.
I used a sheet of 49” x 84.5" sheet of formica for the screen surface which I spray painted with “Tremco – Tremclad High Heat Enamel - Aluminium”. This paint when dried, provided a nice matte silver/gray surface. I used 3 cans to provide 5 even coats over the screen. For the border material, I used “slot board” which is available in 4x8ft sheets, and sliced 3” lengths off. The slot/groove in each length of board is what holds the screen in place. I painted the borders flat black with Tremco flat black spray paint and then applied a single layer of super-wide velcro. I have found that this material was the best for blocking out any light spillover on the sides of the image. NOTE that the slotted border overlaps the formica screen by 1/2" on all sides so the final screen size is 48" x 83.5".
I could not be happier with the results. The total cost for the project was about cdn$130 including excess wood that was not even needed.
The first things I noticed about the projected image were the following… Whites appeared slightly brighter as compared to the image projected onto the wall, hence my estimate of gain between 1.0 and 1.5. Colours appeared deeper as well. Also, I could turn on the lights in the room and the image would not wash out as much as it would prior to having the screen and using a white wall instead.
Finally, I also painted the front wall in a flat black. This really made the image stand out and improved things by reducing the amount of light reflected on the front wall and back to the viewer. The perceived contrast ratio was again improved as a result. I also painted the side walls in an oat-straw colour...
Here are 3 images taken with my digital camera, a Kodak DX6490. The images have not been "doctored" in any way.
............................Screen Images (click to enlarge)
The settings for the camera were as follows.....
shutter speed = 1/4 sec
aperture = f3.20
exposure = 5
focal length = 75mm
iso = 200
flash = none
